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The Renaissance
Gilles Berthelot and his wife set out with the ambition to build a modern castle that would
reflect their social standing...
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The Inexorable Downfall
Gilles Berthelot found himself embroiled in a financial scandal and knew he was in danger.
He wisely stopped any further construction work...
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A Castle's Construction: Ingenuity and Modernism
All ornamental components were all manufactured by contractors specialized in prefabrication
and were delivered ready-to-install, just as they might be nowadays!
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Rustic Furniture
Like most Loire Valley estates, Azay-le-Rideau was only inhabited in summer...
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Castle Life
An enormous bed lorded over the center of the room and it was a great honor to invite
guests to join you in it!
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onjour ! Azay-le-Rideau is a small castle, charming and romantic. It is located in the Loire Valley, 15 miles
southwest of Tours (and about 150 miles southwest of Paris). The strangely named castle of
Azay-le-Rideau ("Azay-the-Curtain") represents one of the most successful examples of Italianate
architecture in the Touraine region. Its unrivaled elegance and the richness of its furniture alone
are worth the visit.
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| Castle of Azay le Rideau |
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Almost a Real Fortress
Following the Loire or one of its tributaries is an astonishing journey. One can only marvel at
the many charming, if not majestic, castles that reflect such serenity and project the image of
a certain gentle way of life or haven of peace. The castle of Azay-le-Rideau is one of them,
today delicately nestled in a green setting on the bank of the river Indre. It is hard to believe
that it was a defensive fortress in times past. It was even once set on fire in the 15th Century
when the Plantagenets and the Capetians were ruthlessly fighting each other for the Crown of
France. Indeed, Paris was under anglo-burgundian rule in 1418, when the Dauphin of France --the
future Charles VII-- escaped with his fragile power to the Loire Valley and wandered from castle
to castle. Azay-le-Rideau, however, was allied with the burgundians and well guarded. When the
Dauphin arrived, he was jeered by the 350 soldiers who were defending the fortress. Furious,
he had the castle besieged, the entire garrison hanged and the village as well as the castle burned down.
A Personal Success
One hundred years later, the castle was still referred to as "Azay-the-Burnt" (its original
name was "Azay-le-Ridel" which later evolved into "Azay-le-Rideau"). That is when the
Comptroller for Kings Louis XI and Charles VIII, Martin Berthelot, bought the old dilapidated
fortress. Even though the terrible One Hundred Years war was finally over, the aftermath
continued to overwhelm the country. Epidemics and wars with Italy followed, one after another.
However, the kings and lords were returning from their warring campaigns filled with wonder
at the new Italian art, their chests full of its products and fruits. At the same time,
French society was undergoing a complete transformation: individualism and personal success
were taking center stage. These two factors alone transformed the architectural landscape
of France. Martin Berthelot's son, Gilles, was one of the players in this metamorphosis.
In 1515, he was Mayor of Tours and became the Lord of Azay when his father died and left
him his office of Comptroller. He undertook important architectural works in 1518, constructing
two major buildings as well as acquiring all the surrounding land... He soon became the
Treasurer-General of the Finances of France, and a very rich man. To anchor his social
standing, he had to own a true lord's estate, and one with incomparable charm.
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| Recipe
for November 2004 |
Baked Apples
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Cooking SOS !
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The Renaissance
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Gilles Berthelot and his wife set out with the ambition to build a modern castle that would reflect
their social standing. The foundations and the old turret were preserved to attest to the historic
importance of the grounds. The castle also had to upgrade its defense mechanisms, so the plans called
for heavy artillery caissons in the basement and a corbelled walkway under the roof for the use of
small arms. At the same time, the premises had to be fit to receive a king or a prince. This meant
building facilities such as a large banquet hall, a ceremonial apartment for distinguished guests,
a chapel for religious functions, a large kitchen with outbuildings, and a stately bedroom for the
landlord. The staircase was, back then, more than just a utilitarian feature; it had become the place
that mirrored one's image, a symbol of the master's status and power. It had to be grandiose and the
Berthelots thought little of the standard spiral staircase. They revised the castle's construction
drawings to accomodate one of the first straight-flight staircases in France, based on an Italian
design...
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The Inexorable Downfall
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Gilles Berthelot, a rich financier under the rule of Louis XII and then Francois I, traveled quite a bit.
He paid the bills but it was his wise and vigilant wife who oversaw the
construction work and the raising of a more gracious and elegant castle, over the course of ten or so
years. Unfortunately for the businessman, Francois I clearly did not approve of this all
too powerful and wealthy bourgeoisie. He also needed money to replenish the kingdom's coffers
and satisfy his ambitious policies. A committee was formed to look into the accounts of these
men who stood in his way and it quite easily uncovered misappropriations of funds. Gilles
Berthelot found himself embroiled in a financial scandal and knew he was in danger. Azay-le-Rideau
was not the most imposing of castles but it was still too luxurious for its own good. He wisely
stopped any further construction work but that didn't help divert suspicions from him. After many
fellow bourgeois were arrested and executed, it was inevitably his turn. Stripped of his duties
and sentenced to death, he managed to escape to Lorraine in 1528 where he died a couple of years
later, in Cambrai, without ever having completed the work. By royal decree in 1535, his assets
(including the castle) were frozen, then simply confiscated from his wife. The king would end
up offering the castle of Azay-le-Rideau to the captain of his archers, as a token of his
appreciation for his loyalty and services.
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A Castle's Construction: Ingenuity and Modernism
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In the Middle-Ages, all the laborers who held construction jobs on these beautiful castles
that we visit today were not literate. A stratagem was developed to allow them to bypass
reading complex plans and yet still construct solid and stable buildings. The project manager
would calculate all parts of the construction based on a geometric module, which insured
symmetry. One module was equal to a big square of about 35 feet a side, which was then
divided into sub-multiples: half, third, quarter and other subdivisions to calculate lengths,
widths and heights. Basic materials, such as brick and then stone, were chosen based on their
proximity to the construction site. All ornamental components were outsourced. Windows,
framing components, stair treads and mantelpieces were all manufactured by contractors
specialized in prefabrication and were delivered ready-to-install, just as they might be nowadays!
Would you like to read more about France? Click here.
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Rustic Furniture
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Like most Loire Valley estates, Azay-le-Rideau was only inhabited in the Summer. The Berthelots visited
only occasionally in winter, just to inspect the progress of the work, as the castle was uncomfortable
and difficult to heat in that season. The same held true of all the kings and lords who only saw in
their castles a way to escape the Capital's stifling heat in summer. Therefore, these castles had
very little furniture. During a period of history which sometimes required a quick getaway and when all
was packed up during these frequent moves, the trunk (the precursor of the closet) quickly became
the most important piece of furniture. Necessary cooking utensils were piled up in the trunk in the
kitchens, then servants added dishes and silverware, while in the bedrooms, clothes, blankets and
books completed the belongings. The trunk could also serve double-duty as seating or even as a table.
Tables actually didn't exist back then, so when the owners entertained guests, they would "set the table"
by laying a board on top of trestles. The servants would then cover it up with a linen tablecloth,
which aside from its decorative function would double as one big napkin!
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Castle Life
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The living quarters of Middle-Ages landlords were big, sparsely furnished, poorly heated and
hard to maintain rooms. A bit of comfort was nonetheless found in the one true living space:
the bedroom. This is where one received one's guests, worked, bathed, and even sometimes
cooked meals thanks to a pot hung from the chimney. An enormous bed lorded over the center of
the room and it was a great honor to invite guests to join you in it! The mattress was covered
with many cushions to allow one to sleep seated, the position considered to be the most comfortable.
In reality, it was believed unwise to sleep lying down: this was the deceased's position and it
was feared that to assume it would be to invite Death to call upon you. At bath time, servants
would fill a large tub with hot water into which stepped the naked bather, whether or not guests
were present. However, one didn't bathe too often in those days because water was considered
dangerous, seeing as it had been the source of terrible epidemics that had decimated the population.
On the other hand, important people wore a lot of perfume and changed clothes often. One had to
look stylish!
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Invitation to Travel
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Just as Chenonceau and Cheverny were, Azay-le-Rideau was once again the work of a woman: Madame
Berthelot-- even though what she left behind still somewhat resembled a fortress. It was under the rule
of Louix XIV that the castle of Azay-le-Rideau acquired all its present-day elegance and witnessed
its most lavish period. Even though it was saved from destruction during the Revolution, it lost
its medieval castle appearance, namely because of the demolition of its turret. Today, you can
still admire this charming and romantic Renaissance estate that many consider to be the most
beautiful human-scale castle of the Loire Valley. In the Summer, nocturnal visits to the gardens are
not to be missed. The pictures in this newsletter should give you a preview...
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